Indictment in CHP copter laser shining in Oakland

Published 7:12 pm, Thursday, August 28, 2014

An Oakland man was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury on charges that he shined a green laser at a California Highway Patrol helicopter in East Oakland.

Christian Palomino, 18, was arrested for shining a laser pointer at the state agency's helicopter, called H32, seven to eight times about 11:15 p.m. June 7, said CHP Officer Sean Wilkenfeld.

Palomino was indicted on a charge of aiming a laser at an aircraft, a felony.

The helicopter had been flying near Seminary Avenue and Elizabeth Street, assisting Oakland police in a search for a suspect, Wilkenfeld said. Palomino shined the light at the Eurocopter AS350 while standing near Bancroft and Seminary avenues, authorities said.

"The flight officer was able to quickly identify the green laser flash because he had previous experience being aimed at with a laser while in the aircraft," FBI Special Agent Brian Koh wrote in an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Oakland.

The pilot helped direct CHP units on the ground to the suspect within four minutes, Wilkenfeld said. A black pen green laser was found in Palomino's pocket, according to the FBI. Palomino initially gave police the name of his twin brother, who was also at the scene, Koh wrote.

But the crew also still had to help Oakland police with their incident, which included a foot chase, authorities said.

"Therefore, the two officers in the CHP helicopter had to divert their attention back and forth between searching for the source of the laser and providing assistance to the OPD," Koh wrote.

In a recorded telephone conversation from jail, Palomino asked his mother in Spanish if she had recorded a news segment about the incident, which he described as an "embarrassment," Koh wrote. "Palomino's mother replied by stating, 'You should be embarrassed for doing dumba- things.' "

Although authorities have long warned against shining lasers at aircraft, it continues to be a problem. In 2013, there were 3,960 such incidents, with 734 in California, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Pilots have reported being temporarily blinded by lasers that illuminate their cockpit.

The FAA has cited several possible explanations for the increase in laser incidents. The devices are easily obtainable on the Internet, and new models have boosted power levels that allow the beams to hit aircraft at higher altitudes.

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